Texas Rangers Rookie Takes Blame For Disastrous Debut

Jack Leiter's MLB debut for the Texas Rangers was a major letdown.

Apr 18, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (35) sits on the bench. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Rangers fans caught a glimpse of the future on Thursday when one of the team's top pitching prospects, Jack Leiter, made his MLB debut at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a smooth first outing for the rookie. The 23-year-old righty didn't make it out of the fourth inning, leaving after surrendering seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

It was a frustrating performance for Leiter, who was unable to protect leads of 4-0 and 7-4. Fortunately for him, the Rangers' bullpen stopped the bleeding and didn't allow any more runs, allowing the bats to rally for a 9-7 victory.

After the game, a frustrated Leiter blamed himself for making too many mistakes and not executing enough pitches.

"I know I'm better. I need to be better. I will be better. That's kinda the frustration. The pitches I left on the table and the mistakes that I made."

Maturity beyond his years. He's not new to this process or the criticism. I am fully behind Jack Leiter. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/VakHzQQ2Ia

— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) April 18, 2024

Leiter proved he still has some learning to do after getting pounded by a weak Tigers lineup. Detroit ranked near the bottom of the American League in many offensive categories entering play on Thursday, so this should have been a relatively easy matchup for Leiter.

Unfortunately, Texas' No. 7 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) wasn't at the top of his game. While he got through the first and third innings unscathed and didn't allow any home runs, he gave the Tigers too many hittable pitches and issued three free passes. Perhaps his nerves got the best of him.

Like many rookies, Leiter may need an adjustment period before he starts living up to the hype. The former No. 2 overall pick will have plenty of chances to redeem himself given his pedigree, but he doesn't appear to be a finished product just yet and is still a work in progress.